Horizon Brews to merge bar, classroom and kitchen

A new place for Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville residents to broaden their educational, artistic and gastronomical horizons will open this spring near where the boundaries of the three cities come together.

Horizon Brews will be many things when it opens in River Road Shoppes, at 14560 River Road, in late March or early April. The coffee shop, bar, restaurant, community classroom and event space owned and operated by a Noblesville family was inspired by the Rochester Brainery in New York.

Becky Kirsch, 52, and her daughter, Heather Mercer, 29, stumbled across the concept and decided to open their own gathering space in Hamilton County for locals to meet and learn from experts in a variety of disciplines.

Bill Kirsch, 60, will co-own the business with his wife, daughter and son, 25-year-old Eric Mercer.

A portion of the 3,400-square-foot space will host a rotating lineup of speakers and instructors. A financial adviser might give advice about debt one day, with a local martial artist teaching self-defense the next. Other instructors have already offered to teach photography, jewelry making, floral design, fashion and more. Horizon Brews’ community kitchen might host lessons on how to bake bread or make Beef Wellington.

“I thought it might be difficult to find instructors, but they’ve been pretty much knocking on my door since word got out,” Becky Kirsch said.

Horizon Brews will pay instructors a per-student fee and provide supplies, she said, and the business will recoup those expenses by charging admission to each class. Prices for the classes will vary.

Horizon Brews will serve croissants, cinnamon rolls and other baked goods to coffee shop patrons in the morning, as well as an assortment of standard bar fare to those customers grabbing an evening beer or wine.

Eric Mercer said his family was drawn to Hamilton County’s three largest cities because of residents’ interest in the arts and desire to learn. He plans to use connections he made while studying to become an audio engineer in Nashville, Tennessee, to bring in live music that also expands visitors’ horizons.

“Every aspect about the business is about growth of the individual within our community,” Eric Mercer said.